The best crankbaits for bass fishing is a question that could be discussed for hours, but I will try to break it down for you in a few minutes.
How To Chose the Best Crankbaits for Bass?
When approaching this question, the first thing to do is to think about the conditions you will be fishing in. The first of these questions should be how deep is the water I’m fishing in or the structure I’m targeting.
You want to pick a crankbait that will fish at the depth or a little below the depth that you are fishing. For example, if you are fishing submerged trees or brush piles you will want a crankbait that is hitting the cover, but not necessarily bogging down in it.
Another scenario is if you are fishing a crankbait over submerged grass. In this case, you would want a crankbait that just ticks the top occasionally. If the grass is 4 feet deep, try something like a DT-3 or DT-4. One key to crankbait depth is that the smaller diameter of the line the deeper the bait will run. If you need your bait to ride a little shallower you can go up a line size.
Get Your Rapala DT Crankbaits Here
Get Your Strike King XD Crankbaits Here
If you fishing a crankbait for bass on a hard bottom then if the water is 10 feet deep, I would fish something like a Strike King 3XD or a Rapala DT-10 or 14. This will allow you to hit the bottom and deflect off of cover, while still being able to work the bait efficiently.
Best Crankbait for Bass – What Type of Cover?
I realize that cover was touched on above, but there are some other keys that will help you to choose the best crankbaits for your situation.
One of these takes in cover and depth.
If you are fishing in shallow water and coming through laydowns or trees then the squarebill crankbait is hard to beat. It is amazing how you can crawl a squarebill through laydowns and bushes where you swear you would hang up. When you deflect off of a branch is usually when you get hit.
I Suggest the Strike King KVD 1.5 Squarebill Here
If you were fishing hard bottom with the occasional rock or branch then the round billed crankbaits like the DT series and the Strike King XD series are hard to beat. Just figure out the depth you will be fishing in and get a crank that goes that depth or a little deeper. This can also be the case when you are fishing grass line edges. If you hang in some grass just give it a rip and it should clean it off of your bait.
There are a ton of scenarios that crankbaits will work in and a variety of baits will work. The last one is a bait that is not one that dives to a specific depth, the lipless crankbait.
The lipless crankbait is a sinking bait and doesn’t have a bill. These baits create a ton of vibration in the water. These are versatile as they can be fished in a lot of depths depending on the weight and speed fished. The lighter baits are better for shallow conditions, but these baits do get hung up bad in wood. If you are fishing a lot of wood or brush, then the squarebill is a better option.
There are two conditions that the lipless crankbait shines for me. The first is in the grass when I can let the bait clip the tops of the grass and when it gets bogged down, snapping it out with a quick snap of the rod. The other is to fish it on clean bottom where I can let it hit bottom and pop it up. Almost like hopping a jig. I have caught some amazing fish using this technique.
Get My Favorite Lipless Crankbait Here
I recommend starting with the 05 or 06 size.
Best Crankbaits for Bass Fishing – Color and Size
Another factor in choosing a crankbait is to look at the color and size of the baitfish that your bass are feeding on in your specific area or body of water.
If your bass are eating crawfish then a crawfish pattern can be the ticket. A quick tip is that earlier in the year the red craw patterns can become dominant.
If they are feeding on bluegill then a bluegill pattern in the size and depth that the bluegill are hanging can be best. In the fall the baby bluegill will be small and so should your crankbait.
If you are fishing in a lake that has shad, or some type of pelagic baitfish then it’s hard to go wrong with a shad imitation. Something white or silver will do the trick. If you are in the dead of summer with deeper divers then something with chartreuse and blue can be awesome. In the spring and fall, it is usually better to try to match the bait unless the watercolor is too stained for good visibility.
In the fall it is important to try to match the size of the baitfish your bass are targeting.
Best Crankbaits for Bass – Final Thoughts
If you are new to the crankbait game, don’t be scared. Grab a few baits based on the criteria from above and go give it a try. Keep them tied on and fish with confidence. They aren’t always what the bass are keying in on, but fish them often and you will have some amazing days fishing crankbaits for bass.
If you are going to be dedicated to crankbait fishing then I would suggest getting a crankbait rod.
Remember, the lighter the line the deeper the bait will run. The heavier the line the shallower the bait will run. You can usually get away with a little heavier line when you are fishing in heavy cover with a squarebill crankbait. You will be amazed at how well they come through the cover. In this condition, the squarebill will be the best crankbait for bass fishing for you.
If you hit a piece of wood where you feel like you are going to hang up, pause for a second or two and they lift your rod tip high to come over the snag.
I hope this helps you find the best crankbaits for bass fishing in your conditions.
To your crankbait fishing success,
Jonathan Burke
LiveBassFishing.com